Content Warning: This section references ethnic cleansing.

Hailed as a war hero for his role in the War of 1812, Jackson developed his particular political inclinations at an early age. Jackson was born the son of Irish immigrants in 1767. He grew up in poverty in the colonial South, and by the age of 13, he had lost his father and elder brother. He enlisted as a courier for the colonial forces in the American Revolution. By the war’s end, Jackson was an orphan, having lost his other brother and his mother.

Raised by his uncles, Jackson pursued a career in law and politics. He became a lawyer and was elected to the House of Representatives by his late 20s. He briefly served in the US Senate and then enjoyed a stint as a judge. However, it was his service in the War of 1812 that catapulted Jackson into the national spotlight. As a major general, Jackson saw success in multiple campaigns. His first came in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend in 1814, which secured land in present-day Georgia and Alabama. Later he was outnumbered by British forces during the Battle of New Orleans but managed to survive, earning him his status as a hero and the nickname “Old Hickory” because he was reputed to be as tough as hickory wood.